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View all search resultsMeasles outbreaks worsen amid backslide in childhood immunization
Sumenep in East Java, has emerged as one of the hardest-hit regions, with 159 confirmed measles cases and over 2,000 suspected infections reported this year, resulting in 17 deaths.
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A child gets a measles and rubella vaccination in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Aug. 2, 2018. (Antara/Adwit Pramono)
M
easles is rapidly spreading across the country amid a sharp decline in childhood vaccination rates, with the Health Ministry reporting outbreaks in at least 42 regions and nearly 3,500 confirmed cases nationwide.
According to the Health Ministry, at least 46 measles outbreaks have been recorded across the country since Jan. 1, with three reported in Jakarta and Banten in just the past week.
Sumenep in East Java, has emerged as one of the hardest-hit regions, with 159 confirmed measles cases and over 2,000 suspected infections reported this year, resulting in 17 deaths.
The Health Ministry's acting director general of disease prevention and control, Murti Utami, attributed the rapid spread of measles across the country to a significant decline in childhood immunization rates.
Read also: Measles cases spike in Central Papua as pediatric immunizations fall behind
"To tackle this issue, the Health Ministry has instructed regional governments to closely monitor immunization coverage in their respective areas. We also actively encourage parents to ensure their children complete their vaccination schedules," she said on Monday as quoted by Kompas.com.
Measles is one of the most contagious vaccine-preventable diseases, with a basic reproduction number (R₀) of 12 to 18. This means that a single infected child can spread the virus to 12 to 18 others, significantly higher than COVID-19, which has an R₀ ranging from 1.5 to 6.
